News & Updates

Archive: 2013

The housing market will hesitate for a few weeks once the loan-to-value speed limits are introduced tomorrow before getting back into business as usual, property commentator Olly Newland says.30-09-2013 more >>

Aucklandâ€™s unitary plan was notified today, giving five months for the public to make formal submissions. The Property Council has already weighed in, saying it supports the councilâ€™s measures to simplify the plan and its processes.30-09-2013 more >>

If the heat in the Auckland housing market is largely due to a lack supply, the Reserve Bank may not be pleased to hear reports from the Registered Master Builders Federation that the looming loan-to-value speed limits are slowing construction.27-09-2013 more >>

Green buildings provide better investment returns to their owners, the World Green Building Council says. Chief executive Jane Henley is in New Zealand to present a report called "The Business Case for Green Building."26-09-2013 more >>

Low-deposit mortgages will not only be harder to get from the end of this month, but they will be a lot more expensive. From October 1, banks will be required to keep the amount of new lending to borrowers with a deposit of less than 20 per cent to no more than 10 per cent of their total mortgage lending.25-09-2013 more >>

Many home buyers with ASB mortgage preapprovals will not be able to use them from early next month. The bank has announced it is withdrawing its preapprovals for buyers with deposits of less than 20%.23-09-2013 more >>

Migration is now a key source of demand for housing, the latest ANZ Property Focus report says. Of the ten gauges the report uses to indicate the future direction of property prices, that is the only one that is now pointing only up.20-09-2013 more >>

Migration is now a key source of demand for housing, the latest ANZ Property Focus report says. Of the ten gauges the report uses to indicate the future direction of property prices, that is the only one that is now pointing only up.20-09-2013 more >>

A drop in turnover and a lengthening in the average time it takes a property to sell will be the first signs of a slowdown in the residential housing market, Westpac chief economist Dominick Stephens says.17-09-2013 more >>

There have been many comments in the media recently about rental property owners having a tax advantage over home buyers and can therefore afford to pay more for a property. This is technically true, however the difference is so small that it doesnâ€™t make any practical difference.15-09-2013 more >>

Rent controls proposed by Labour party leadership hopeful Grant Robertson have been panned by Act leader John Banks. He plans to introduce a private member's bill to get "rent stabilisation" across the city.13-09-2013 more >>

Aucklandâ€™s average price is slowly dropping, the cityâ€™s biggest real estate agency reports. Barfoot and Thompsonâ€™s average sales price in August was $647,647, more than $6700 lower than in July and more than $2200 lower than in June.04-09-2013 more >>